Buckle



G. R. UPHAM Nov. 26, 1935.

BUCKLE Filed May 5,4 1954 INVENTOR.

G'L'eff pam, im

ATTO EY.

Patented Nov. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE BUCKLE Application May 5, 1934, Serial No. 724,055

3 Claims.

The invention relates to an improvement in buckles and, as disclosed herein, the improvements are embodied in buckleswhich are adaptu ed primarily for use in securing in.position the ends of a strip of loosely woven fabric such as the gauze within which the absorbent element of sanitary pads are commonly encased.

It has been the usual practice heretofore to secure the ends of this gauze to suitable suspender elements by means of safety pins or other like attaching means which provide but a limited engagement with the threads of the gauze. By reason of the loosely woven character of the gauze and the limited engagement of the pins therewith, it has been diiiicult to retain the pads' securely in position on account of the tendency of the pins to strip the transverse threads on the longitudinal threads of the gauze and thereby permit the pads to sag from the position into which they are originally adjusted.

It is one of the primary objects of the invention, therefore, to provide means for securing one' or both ends of a strip of gauzeA or other. loosely Woven fabric in position. A further object of the invention is the provision of means for securing the ends of a strip of loosely woven fabric against both longitudinal and transverse movement. It is also an object of the invention to provide means for securing a strip of loosely woven fabric in such a manner as to prevent the transverse threads therein from being stripped on the longitudinal threads by the securing means. Another object of the invention is the provision of means for securing the ends of a strip of loosely Woven fabric so that these ends are maintained in an evenly spread condition. A still further object of the invention is the provision of means for securing sanitary pads in position so that the folded ends of the fabric within which Vthe pads proper are encased are disposed in such a manner and are so spread out transversely as to be unnoticeable through the outer garments of the wearer.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken with the accompanying drawing wherein: v

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the improved buckle is employed; Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which an end of the napkin gauze is inserted in the improved buckle in the operation `of' securing the sanitary pad thereto;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an end of the gauze completely secured to the buckle;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a slightly modi- 10v lied form of buckle.

I have disclosed my improved buckle It herein in connection with a supporting belt I I of elastic or other suitable material having front'A and rear suspender elements I2 secured thereto l5 for attachment of one of the buckles to the lower end of each. The upper ends of the suspender elements are preferably secured to non-elastic members I3 by meansof which the side portions of the belt are connected together at the front 20 and rear.

The buckle I0 may be stamped from a sheet of metal or other suitable rigid material, and is preferably in the form of an oblong frame provided with a straight long side I4 for attachment 25 to one of the suspender elements I2 and having a straight edge I5 thereon. The opposite long side I6 is preferably curved and the two long sides are joined by means of curved end portions I1. 30

An elongated opening I8 is formed in the buckle adjacent and parallel to the straight side I4, and a substantially shorter elongated opening I9 is provided adjacent the curved side I6, the latter opening also being parallel to the straight 35 side I4. The elongated openings I8 and I9 are separated by means of a gripper bar 20 having serrations on the opposite edges thereof, the serrations on one edge providing a plurality of teeth 2I which extend into the opening I8, and the ser- 40 rations on the opposite edge forming teeth 22 which extend into the opening I9.

The curved side I6 of the buckle is provided with a transverse slot 23 which communicates with the adjacent elongated opening I 9 and pro- 45 vides a pair of tongues 24 the free ends of which are so spaced from each other as to permit the strip of fabric or other material which is to be secured to the buckle to be inserted transversely therethrough. In the modification illustrated 50 in Fig. 7, the free ends 25 of these tongues are slightly deflected outwardly from one face of the buckle to thereby provide a tapered opening through which the gauze may be more easily inserted in a transverse direction. 55

The attaching elements 26 by means of which the buckles are secured to the lower ends of the suspender elements I2 are preferably formed from a strip of strong tape 21 having a facing 28 of suitable material secured thereon with its marginal edges 28 folded about the opposite edges of the tape. This attaching strip is inserted through an elongated slot 36 formed in the straight side I4 of the buckle between the opening I8 and the straight edge I5, and providing a supporting bar 3|. The dimensions of the slot 35 and the attaching element 26 are such as to provide a close iit when the attaching element is inserted in the slot and folded back upon itself about the supporting bar 3|. The attaching element 25 may be secured to the suspender element I2 by aline of stitching 32 near the margin of the folded attaching element, and the transverse stitching 33 at the lower end of the attaching element is preferably closely adjacent the straight edge I5 of the supporting bar 3l in order to assist in preventing movement of the buckle lengthwise of the attaching element.

As illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing the sanitary pad 35 is secured to the buckles by inserting each of the free ends 35 of the gauze 36 within which the absorbent is enfolded through an opening I8, it being understood that both ends are secured in a substantially similar manner. The length of the opening I8 is preferably such that the gauze casing 35 may be fully spread therein throughout its width. The end of the gauze is then folded downwardly over the teeth 2! on the upper edge of the gripper bar 20, following which the gauze is inserted transversely through the slot 23 and spread out in the shorter opening I9 in engagement with the teeth 22 on the lower edge of the gripper bar 253.

By reason of the fact that the opening I8 is substantially longer than the opening I9, the folded strip of gauze is spread out to a greater extent in the opening I8 than it is in the opening I9, so that the gripper bar teeth do not exert a pull in straight lines lengthwise of the gauze. This arrangement of the two elongated openings prevents the teeth from stripping the transversely extending threads of the gauze on the longitudinally extending threads and thereby prevents the pad from sagging from its proper position after it has been adjusted. Preferably the pad 34 is rst secured to the buckle on the rear suspender element I2, and when the belt II is properly positioned on the wearer, the front end 35 of the gauze is then inserted through the opening I8 in the front buckle, and, after the pad is properly adjusted, the front end of the gauze is then inserted transversely through the slot 23 into engagement with teeth 22 in opening I9 in the manner just described.

While I have disclosed herein a certain form of buckle in which my improvements are embodied, together with one modication thereof, it will be understood that my invention is not intended to be limited by the specic forms and arrangements which I have shown and described, and that such other forms and arrangements of the improvements are comprehended by the invention so long as they come within the scope of the appended claims.

What I desire to claim by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A buckle for securing the end of a sanitary pad, comprising an oblong frame one of the long sides of which is provided with a transverse slot separating the same substantially midway of its ends and the other of Which forms a supporting bar, a serrated gripper bar extending lengthwise of said frame and spaced from the long sides thereof to provide an elongated opening on one side with which said transverse slot communicates and an elongated opening of substantially greater length on the opposite side, the relative lengths of said openings being such that the strip of gauze will spread out laterally in the longer opening and will be laterally constricted in the shorter opening.

2. A buckle formed from an oblong sheet of rigid material having a straight edge on one side thereof, an elongated suspender slot adjacent said straight edge and parallel thereto, an elongated opening parallel to said slot and having teeth projecting therein from the edge opposite said slot, and an elongated opening oi substantially less length than and parallel to the first mentioned opening adjacent the edge of said sheet opposite said straight edge and having a plurality of teeth projecting therein from the edge adjacent the first mentioned opening, the edge of said sheet opposite said straight edge having a transverse slot therein communicating with the last mentioned opening and forming a pair of spaced tongues, the relative lengths of said openings being such that the strip of gauze will spread out laterally in the longer opening and will be laterally constricted in the shorter opening.

3. A buckle formed from an oblong sheet of rigid material having a straight edge on one side thereof, an elongated suspender slot adjacent said straight edge and parallel thereto, an elongated opening parallel to said slot and having teeth projecting therein from the edge remote from said slot, and an elongated opening of substantially less length than and parallel to the rst mentioned opening adjacent the edge of said sheet opposite said straight edge and having a plurality of teeth projecting therein from the edge adjacent the rst mentioned opening, the edge of said sheet opposite said straight edge having a transverse slot therein communicating with the last mentioned opening and forming a pair of tongues, the free ends of said tongues being deflected out of the plane of said sheet on the same face thereof.

GILBERT R. UPI-IAM. 

